2009 New Releases

Valero Grant - April

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E-MAIL: jpeterson@wheatonarts.org

Valero Energy Corporation Awards $7,500 to WheatonArts

MILLVILLE, NJ – Wheaton Arts and Cultural Center has recently been awarded a grant by the Valero Energy Corporation and its Paulsboro Refinery in the amount of $7,500 to help support three of the Center’s arts education programs designed to serve at-risk youth in Millville and Cumberland County. The grant is part of a major initiative of the Valero corporation to support community organizations throughout South Jersey.

The Valero Texas Open “Benefit for Children” Golf Classic, a project of the Valero Energy Foundation based at the corporation’s headquarters city of San Antonio, raised $8.5 million in 2008 to support children’s programs and charities in communities where the company has major operations. This is a record amount for any tournament in the PGA Tour’s history. Valero employees, including those at the Paulsboro Refinery, also have a long history of actively participating in community organizations as volunteers and through individual giving to community and social service agencies, arts and culture organizations, education and disaster relief contributions. Valero’s philanthropy is also supported by their network of Business Partners throughout the region that actively support Valero’s community goals through participation in the annual Valero Golf Classic.

The WheatonArts grant will help support 2009 arts programs for pre-schoolers through the Center’s GrowCreative! program, for 4th graders in the Millville School District Glasstown Partnership and teenagers from across Cumberland County who are currently under the supervision of the NJ Juvenile Justice Commission.  

“It is the corporate investment in cultural organizations such as WheatonArts that guarantees access to the arts for thousands of children living in South Jersey,” notes WheatonArts Executive Director Susan Gogan. “We are proud to count Valero as a strong and proactive partner on behalf of our school programs, especially those targeted to reach high at-risk student populations.”

WheatonArts, the largest regional arts organization in South Jersey, is home to the Museum of American Glass, the Creative Glass Center of America International Fellowship Program, the Down Jersey Folklife Center, a Hot Glass Studio and several traditional Artist Studios, the Gallery of Fine Craft, four Museum Stores, and a 10,000 square-foot event center.

In addition to daily glassblowing and artist demonstrations, WheatonArts features special exhibitions, programs, workshops, performances and several weekend festivals and events throughout the year. WheatonArts has received the coveted Citation of Excellence from the NJ State Council on the Arts for 11 consecutive years and the Center is recognized as a Major Arts Organization by the Council, “given in recognition of the organization’s solid history of artistic excellence, arts programming and broad public service.” This honor also notes that the Center “stands among the anchor institutions that contribute vitally to the quality of life in New Jersey.”

In January, February and March WheatonArts is open Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. WheatonArts offers free admission to the Museum of American Glass and all of the museum stores during these three months. The Glass, Pottery and Flameworking Studios and Down Jersey Folklife Center are closed. All facilities will reopen April 1 when WheatonArts returns to its six-day operating schedule.

For more information about WheatonArts call 800-998-4552 or 856-825-6800 or visit online at ww.wheatonarts.org.

WheatonArts strives to ensure the accessibility of its exhibitions, events and programs to all persons with disabilities. Provide two weeks notice for special accommodations.        

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